The Washington Prairie village was located past Glenwood Church on the road to Waukon in eastern Winneshiek County. The town boasted a general store, post office and there also was a blacksmith shop. There are varied reports that the town had a population of between 10 and 15 people. No date or other information is indicated on the photo.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO: The Home Ice Cream Factory has opened here in town. J.C. McArthur is proprietor. He says super ice cream will be manufactured for retail trade only, and ay reasonable prices. An expert ice cream man has been put in charge. The business is located at 301 W. Water Street on the corner west of the Grand Theatre in the downtown area.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO: Ernie Bergman and Leonard Goltz have announced plans to raise frogs commercially in Decorah. They have informed the newspaper that they have a couple of suitable ponds spotted for their enterprise.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO: After Saturday, June 22, 1935, locals will no longer be able to pull back the spring lever and try their luck with marble machines, dice, punch boards or any other gambling device whatsoever – without violating the law. All owners and operators of such devices are notified and must remove them prior to June 22, 1935. Most locals agree … that this is good news indeed for our community.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO: Decorah High School is leading the entire state of Iowa by winning first place in the “Every Pupil Academic Test” in Class A schools. This is the highest record ever attained by Decorah High.

…FRONT PAGE NEWS: The three drinking fountains in the business district of Decorah, which are situated in front of the Ben Bear Company, at the Decorah Library and in front of the Band Box Millinery, were opened for the 1955 season.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO: Interesting goings-on up at the college. A pistol has been plowed up on the Luther College farm. The pistol, which may be over 100 years old, will be added to a large collection at the Norwegian-American Historical Museum at Luther. It is a cap pistol.

…The annual church dinner over at St. John’s in Fort Atkinson was last Sunday. Price for the delicious meal was 35 cents per person.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO: Brick laying on Decorah’s new, attractive high school building has begun. Contractors are the James Leck Company of Minneapolis. The building should be completed by Sept. 1. Of special note -- local labor is being used almost exclusively.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO: Fourteen members are eliminated from active membership in the Decorah Volunteer Fire Department due to a new ordinance stating compulsory retirement of members when they reach a ripe old age … that being their 56th birthday … or if they are physically unable to carry on as active firefighters for the city of Decorah.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO: Complete accreditation of the Decorah Girls’ College was voted on by the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities in Chicago earlier this month. The new name is official: Decorah College for Women.” Organization of the college began here in the city three years ago.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO: FRONT PAGE NEWS: Miss Marion Dahl of Minneapolis, Minn., has paid for an advertisement appearing in the Decorah Journal. She hopes to wed anyone who can help her parents pay off their mortgage and debts.

EIGHTY YEARS AGO: Mr. S.E. Brickner, local feed and seed dealer, reports that there is a fair supply of corn for livestock feed in most parts of the county, but there is a real, measurable shortage of rough feeds, particularly hay and straw.